Detachable heel lift



y 9, 1964 L. FACCIN 3,133,362

DETACHABLE HEEL LIFT Filed July 11, 1962 Bwf JJMMM 7 '11 6 4 ATTORNEY Luis FQcc/h, INVENTOR,

United States Patent .0

3,133,362 DETACHABLE HEEL LIFT Luis Faccin, Rivadavia, 6121, Dto. D, Buenos Aires, Argentina Filed July 11, 1962, Ser. No. 208,992 Claims priority, application Italy Nov. 17, 1961 3 Claims. (Cl. 36-42) This invention relates to shoes and more particularly to an improved heel for womens shoes and a novel system for securing heel lifts thereto.

Womens shoe heels have been proposed heretofore, having a longitudinal bore adapted to receive a dowel integral with a removable heel lift, the specific purpose of which is to afford a seat which will be less rigid than the material of the heel itself while at the same time protecting the latter against wear or breakage. Such known heel lifts are, generally fixed by means of nails or the like which, in use, apart from counteracting the cushioning efiect of the heel lift, often cause marks or otherwise damage wooden, plastic or like flooring, due to the weight distributed over a small surface. Attempts have also been made to suitably mount the heel lifts by screwing the dowels thereof into the bottom of the aforesaid longitudinal hole, but this has not proved successful inasmuch as the heel lift dowel became loose during use of the shoe. The press-fitting of the dowel is also not entirely satisfactory, inasmuch' as the dowel does not acquire suflicient adherence and will finally fall oif.

The present invention aims to solve the problems encounteredin the provision of removable heel lifts. In accordance with the invention, a pair of transverse holes are located at the same level in the main heel body ex tending into the longitudinal heel hole, said transverse holes forming substantially a right angle with each other and extending through the side faces of the heel.

One of said transverse heel holes is aligned with a transverse hole formed in the heel lift dowel inserted in the longitudinal bore of the heel. One heel transverse hole is adapted to receive a removable core member having a cross-sectional area which is larger than that of the dowel transverse hole, whereby the forced fitting thereof will cause the expansion of the walls thereof into the complementary transverse hole in the heel, thus to receive the expanded portions.

The system will therefore act as a self-retaining means for the heel lift, through expansion of the lift dowel, the mounting between both elements being such that they can only be detached, for example, when it is desired to renew the heel lift, by unscrewing said core with the aid of a simple tool or device already used in the mounting operation.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, a preferred embodiment thereof has been illus trated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of a womans shoe heel and a removable heel lift and retaining member therefor;

FIG. 2 is an exploded longitudinal sectional view, on a larger scale, of the same elements shown in FIG. 1 and illustrating the transverse holes in the heel and heel lift dowel, with a core-turning key shown in dash lines;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a shoe heel with the heel lift inserted in the longitudinal hole thereof and the expander core inserted in the corresponding transverse heel hole; and

'FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 44 in FIG. 3 and clearly showing the lateral expansion of the terminal lift dowel into the complementary heel transverse hole.

3,133,362 Patented May 19, 1964 The same reference characters are used to indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the drawings.

In the drawings, a indicates a womans shoe heel which may be made of aluminum or other suitable material and which tapers downwardly from the upper surface of attachment to the shoe body, to a free lower surface 1 to which a removable heel lift b may be secured. The body of the heel a is formed with a flat lateral surface 3 and a curved lateral surface 4.

The heel a is provided with a longitudinal hole 5 extending from the bottom surface 1 a certain distance into the heel body a, as clearly shown in FIG. 2.

At a certain height from said lower surface 1, the longitudinal bore 5 merges into a pair of transverse holes 6 and 7, located at the same height and at a right angle with each other, preferably a angle.

The transverse hole 6 may be larger in cross-section than the hole 7 and extends from the flat lateral heel surface 3 to a point beyond the longitudinal hole 5, as indicated at 6 and clearly shown in FIG. 2. The smaller transverse hole 7 in turn extends from the curved heel surface 4 to a point slightly beyond the longitudinal bore 5, as indicated at 7' and clearly shown in FIG. 4.

The removable heel lift b designed to be applied to the heel 11 comprises a main body or lift portion 8, made of plastic or other suitable material, having side surfaces or walls 8 (preferably following the taper of the heel walls 3 and 4) a lower or tread surface 9 and an upper surface 10* opposite the surface 9 and parallel to the surface 1 of the heel to which it is attachable. From the central portion of the surface 10 extends a dowel 11, preferably cylindrical, having a transverse diametrical hole 12 spaced from the surface 10 for a distance corresponding to the distance between the mid axis of the hole 66' and the lower surface 1 of the heel a. In other words, the lower edge 7" (which is the retaining edge proper) corresponds to the transverse hole 7-7 and is spaced from the lower surface 1 for a distance equivalent to the aforementioned height of the dowel hole 12.

In order to insure the consistency of the heel lift b, the lower bearing surface 9 thereof is provided with a relatively large recess 13 which, starting from an intermediate shoulder, terminates in a longitudinal extension 14 which is smaller in cross-section. In this extension 14 a screw 15 may be inserted as a core member, the thread of which exceeds the diameter corresponding to the hole 14-. The outer end of the screw 15 is formed with a recess 15 capable of receiving therein the end of a shank 16 of a key 17 or other suitable actuating device.

Within the heel transverse hole 6 there is inserted a removable cross member or key to retain the dowel 11, the transverse hole I12 of which is operatively aligned with said hole 66'. The cross member 18 may comprise :a pin, a key, or an expander member as shown by way of example in the drawings and as shown, the expander member is formed as a screw 18 of which the inner diameter corresponds with the diameter of the transverse dowel hole 12, whereas the outer diameter, as a result of the thread, exceeds the diameter of said hole 12 by an amount equivalent to the length of the thread. In a manner similar to the core 15, this expander core or key 18 is provided with a suitably shaped recess 18 adapted to receive the shank 16 of an actuating key (FIG. 2).

In order to apply the heel lift b to the heel a, the dowel 11 is first inserted in the longitudinal bore 5 in the heel a, so that the transverse hole '12 will be aligned with the hole 6-6', while the side walls of the dowel hole 12 will block the complementary transverse hole 7-7' in said heel a. Upon actuation of the expander core screw 18 arranged in the hole 6, by means of the key 16, inasmuch as such screw is made of metal (i.e., of a material harder than that of the dowel 11), on being forced into the hole 12 due to the difference in diameters, will cause a lateral expansion of the dowel walls, which expansion is indicated at 11 and is clearly shown in FIG. 4. It will be seen that the dowel expanded projections 11' will flow into the complementary transverse hole 7-7' in heel a, the lower edge 7 of which will act as a retaining means.

As regards the lower core 15 arranged in a similar manner (FIG. 2), the purpose thereof is to serve as a reinforcement for the dowel 11, particularly when the heel to which it is applied has a very small cross-sectional area, while at the same time said core 15 will prevent the movement of the heel lift b in use.

When the heel lift b becomes worn out or damaged through use, it will be sufficient to unscrew the expander core 18 with the aid of the key 216-17, whereupon said terminal lift may be readily removed and replaced by a new one.

While I have described and illustrated a specific shoe heel construction, it is obvious that many changes, modifications and/ or alterations will occur to those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as clearly set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A shoe heel comprising a heel body attachable to a shoe heel seat and having a lower end surface, said body having a substantially central longitudinal bore extending from said lower end surface into said heel body and having at least two transverse holes extending into said longitudinal heel bore and opening at the side faces of said heel body, said transverse holes being arranged at an angle with each other, a removable heel lift having a dowel projected from the upper face thereof into said longitudinal bore, said dowel having a transverse hole therethrough, the edge wall of one of said transverse holes intersecting the edge wall of the other hole, a removable dowel expander core in the transverse hole in the dowel, said one heel hole having its lower edge spaced from the lower end surface by a distance shorter than the length of said dowel and being adapted to receive the expanded portions of said dowel.

2. A shoe heel according to claim 1, wherein said heel body transverse holes are spaced at a angle relative to each other and said dowel-expander core comprises a removable core the cross-sectional area of which is larger than the cross-sectional area of said dowel transverse hole to thereby provide a forced fit of said core in said hole to cause the lateral expansion of said dowel into said one heel body transverse 'hole.

3. A shoe heel according to claim 1, wherein said dowel-expanding member comprises a screw member, the outer diameter of which exceeds that of said dowel transverse hole, whereby the forced fit of said screw-threaded core member into said dowel transverse hole will cause the lateral expansion of said dowel in an amount corresponding to the depth of said screw-thread.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 306,905 De Clyne Oct. 21, 1884 1,286,054 Mizsak Nov. 26, 1918 1,959,721 Kohler et al. May 22, 1934 2,852,864 Quirk Sept. 23, 1958 3,041,747 Pfeil July 3, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 966,462 France Mar. 8, 1950 

1. A SHOE HEEL COMPRISING A HEEL BODY ATTACHABLE TO A SHOE HEEL SEAT AND HAVING A LOWER END SURFACE, SAID BODY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CENTRAL LONGITUDINAL BORE EXTENDING FROM SAID LOWER END SURFACE INTO SAID HEEL BODY AND HAVING AT LEAST TWO TRANSVERSE HOLES EXTENDING INTO SAID LONGITUDINAL HEEL BORE AND OPENING AT THE SIDE FACES OF SAID HEEL BODY, SAID TRANSVERSE HOLES BEING ARRANGED AT AN ANGLE WITH EACH OTHER, A REMOVABLE HEEL LIFT HAVING A DOWEL PROJECTED FROM THE UPPER FACE THEREOF INTO SAID LONGITUDINAL BORE, SAID DOWEL HAVING A TRANSVERSE HOLE THERETHROUGH, THE EDGE WALL OF ONE OF SAID TRANSVERSE HOLES INTERSECTING THE EDGE WALL OF THE OTHER HOLE, A REMOVABLE DOWEL EXPANDER CORE IN THE TRANSVERSE HOLE IN THE DOWEL, SAID ONE HEEL HOLE HAVING ITS LOWER EDGE SPACED FROM THE LOWER END SURFACE BY A DISTANCE SHORTER THAN THE LENGTH OF SAID DOWEL AND BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE EXPANDED PORTIONS OF SAID DOWEL. 